Misadventures of a Teenaged Took
by Nolitari
Summary: Teenaged Hobbits always seem to cause trouble, especially Pippin. When he learns how to really get into mischeif, it is terribly hard to get out of it. Chapter six or five...whatever you like to call it is up!
1. Prologue

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

By Nolitari

A/N: I know this has a strange genre, but, (grin) I couldn't resist.

If you look in the timeline in the back of RotK, it will clearly state that it was 17 years inbetween Bilbo's birthday party and the War of the Ring. Who knows what our dear Pippin could get himself into in that span of time.

So, Pippin is about... 18 years old, which is still young for a Hobbit, therefore I can make him act like a 10-year-old if I wish.

I know I am updating two stories at once. Sorry! I just couldn't help myself.

**Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, which I don't, I wouldn't be doing this to poor Pip. **

o-o-o-o-o

Prologue

He looked around at his sleeping cousin. No, his cousin would never suspect it. Everyone always said he couldn't pull off a good prank, but that was about to change. He could do a good prank, no matter what anyone else said. His father always said, "If you put your mind to it, you can do whatever you want." But most fathers said that. It was like the dad motto.

The Hobbit grabbed his pet mouse - that no one knew about - and held it in position to drop on his cousin's face. He tried to calm his breathing, otherwise his cousin would wake up. But the hobbit just couldn't. Oh well, no time now! This plan had to go smoothly. Then he could blame it on one of his siblings if there were any mistakes.

Outside the wind started to howl, making the young Hobbit shiver. It wasn't that he was cold, just the lonely howl of the gusting wind made his spine tingle. The spring winds blew furiously, as they did every year. The wolf-like howls of the wind made the young Hobbit seriously reconsider his prank for a less scary night. Yet, he wouldn't admit that he was scared. He was eightteen years old, and that was old enough to not be scared...if people were looking.

Quickly he dropped the mouse on his cousin's face and dove into his bed. The sheets were no longer warm since he had left his bed about fifteen minutes ago. He tried to not fall asleep. He wanted to hear his cousin's reaction.

Ten minutes later, it came.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

He tried not giggle, he really did, but the teenaged hobbit couldn't help himself.

"PIPPIN!"

"EEP!"

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter One: Mice and Apples

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

By Nolitari

A/N: (see bottom for additonal notes) I have rewritten this chapter...and I can't believe no one reviewed...but I know people have read it, I do that a ton, but just haven't reviewed. Please, please review.

**Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, which I don't, I wouldn't be doing this to poor Pip. **

o-o-o-o-o

**Chapter One**

_There he sat, lazily enjoying the warm spring's day. The lands still smelled like rain from the previous day's showers. The clouds had cleared that morn, leaving the sun to spread her warmth everywhere, to dry up the muddy trails. But to the young hobbit sitting against the trees of the Old Forrest the sun wasn't drying the roads fast enough. He wanted to go to Tookburough --- now. But, he was enjoying his apple -- the last from the winter's supply -- while soaking in the warmth. _

_His mischeivous mind had already thought of some things to do at his uncle's house. First of all, he said inwardly, he needed to get Pip over his over cautiousness. He could do that by taking Pippin out to the 'secret cave' that was about two miles from Uncle Paladin's Hobbit hole. Well, there was a twist. They wouldn't go in broad daylight, that wouldn't help anything, but in the dead of night. Then Pippin could feel the thrill of running out of the front door and then climbing back in through the bedroom window. _

_Crunch. He took another large bite out of the perfectly red apple. _

_"Merry? Merry, where are you?" _

_"Over here, Pop!" _

_"Ah, Meriadoc. There you are. Finish that apple quickly now, we're leavin' for Tookburough in an hou." _

_He let out a whoop of joy. Since the rainfall acumulation wasn't as heavy as it was suspected to be, the roads must have dried up quicker. _

_'Finally,' he thought as he walked alongside his pop, 'now I can make sure Pip grows out of his childish ways!'_

o-o-o-o-o

Drowsily Merry opened his eyes. It wasn't even near dawn yet. So, why was he waking up in the middle of the night? It couldn't be the howls of the wind, Merry was too much of a hard sleeper for that. But...there was the strangest feeling in his hair. It felt as if something was crawling through it, something that was trying to make a nest!

Cautiously Merry put a hand up to his head, and he felt the one animal he completely despised. Rodents.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Pippin tried not giggle, he really did, but the teenaged hobbit couldn't help himself.

"PIPPIN!"

"EEP!" Pippin quickly hid his head under the feather pillow, as if that could sheild him from his older cousin's wrath. Cotton and feathers proved to be a very poor protection. For his cousin, Merry, dove on the younger hobbit's bed, squishing him into the matress. "You know I hate mice!"

"I'm sorry!" Pippin said, though his voice was muffled in the pillow.

Merry, on the otherhand, had to disagree. "No you aren't, Pip! That was intentional!" Merry, obviously, was very grouchy. He was one that valued his sleep very much. It sometimes took him two hours to fully roll out of bed in the mornings. Or, he would just pay no heed to whoever was trying to wake him and continue sleeping. Through his eyes there was no point in getting out of a nice soft, warm bed if you weren't going to do anything anyway.

"Alright, alright! It _was_ intentional!" Pippin squeaked rapidly. "I just wanted to prove that I was a good prankster!"

The elder hobbit sat back on his heels. "Is that it, eh? Well, I _guess_ it was a good start. It was kind of weak. I can help you on that, just not here. Plus, this place is boring. We need to go do something adventurous!" He said with a smirk on his face. _'Good Pip. Good start! And I didn't even set this one up. Well done.'_

"You just arrived this morning! We can have an adventure tomorrow." Pippin said, flopping down on his bed.

"Well, you woke me up, so we might as well do something. What time is it?"

Pippin squinted at the clock. "Um, I think it says 4 in the morning."

"Ah, it's not that far off from dawn. Let's go do something!"

"Now?"

o-o-o-o-o

Pippin stared at the open door wide eyed. His cousin _actually_ expected him to sneak out in the middle of the night? Not only would his father literally throttle him after he hugged him, Pippin would have to face his mother's wrath also. It's even worse when you combine the two...

The wind still blew on angrily. It blew as if it had a grudge against the Shire, as if the Hobbit land had wronged it in some way. Pippin was still scared, but he was _definantly_ not going to tell that to Merry. It was amazing that Merry would hang around him, for Pippin was only eighteen compared to his cousin's twenty-six.

Nosily the door banged open, compliments of Merry."Come on, Pip! Uncle Paladin will hear us if we linger any longer!" The said Hobbit urged, having to talk a little louder as to be heard above the howls. He stood outside the hole, his hair whipped against his face, stinging him in the process.

Pippin, being the more cautious of the two, spoke with uncertainty. "I don't know, Merry...what if we get caught?"

"So what if we do? Pip, you are scared, aren't you?"

Pippin started fuming. He would _not_ admit that he was scared, not while he was with Merry! In spite of his fear of the gusty weather, he quickly bounded out of the Hobbit hole. Once he was out, he closed it as quietly as possible. If his father found out...

"See, I am _not_ scared." The younger Hobbit said proudly. "Now, where are we going?"

Tookburough was silent. If it were any other night you could hear the whispers of darkness across the land. But it wasn't any other night. This night two young hobbits were sneaking out of their warm beds to go on an adventure -- one with an uncertain outcome.

Onward the two young hobbits went through the town roads, and eventually into the small woods that was home to the 'secret cave'.

o-o-o-o-o

Additional note: I don't know where Tookburough is specifically in the Shire, so I am probably not going to mention anything about major landmarks.

Opps! This wasn't said clearly, this story starts out 7 years after Bilbo's party, which would mean 10 years before the War of the Ring. So in fact, our dear hobbit is 18.

Thank you **Sweethobbit**, for reviewing! That made my day. I mentioned the timeline because we will have ten years to mess with our favourite Took, now won't we? Actually, in the War of the Ring Pippin is 28 years old. At the end of it he turns 29, since his birthday is May 6th. (Friends are like lemons. Squeeze them for information until they are dry.)  
Sorry if the weather is not correct for the Shire. I'm basing it on the weather I'm getting here in Kansas. A few days ago it dropped 30 degrees and has been extremely windy ever since.One more thing, excuse any spelling mistakes or grammar errors. I am _still_ deprived of Microsoft Word. And I am too impatient to have a beta.

Please review. If so, chapter two _may_ come out quicker.

-Nolitari


	3. Chapter Two: Riddled with Holes

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

By Nolitari

A/N: (see bottom for additonal notes) (smiles) If I can make one person happy, then this is all worth it. Chapters in all of my stories may be delayed...I'm updating three at once now...gulp. This should be an angsty chapter. If it is terrible...um, well, this is my first shot at angst.

This probably won't be very long...I'm _trying_ to improve chapter length.

**Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, which I don't, I wouldn't be doing this to poor Pip. Or Merry.**

o-o-o-o-o

"Merry, how much further is this place that you are taking me to?" Pippin sighed as he scampered over a tree root. The duo had been walking for about half an hour now, and to the young Took it felt like hours.

The curly headed Hobbit turned towards his younger cousin. "It shouldn't be much longer." Merry stated simply. His pride was a little too high; the young hobbits were headed in the completely wrong direction. In fact, they were headed to the worst part of the woods. It was the part that was riddled with holes and razor sharp rocks. Strange things had happened there, and those who ventured there rarely came out unharmed. But Merry didn't know that -- he hadn't been told of that part of the woods yet. But Pippin had.

"Merry...I don't think this is such a good place to be wandering through this part of the woods..." Peregrin urgently whispered. He had been told not to go through this part under any circumstances. If a young hobbit did, then he may fall into one of the many holes and never be found they were so deep.

The teenaged Brandybuck had to disagree. "Nonsense Pip! I know this place like the back of my hand. Now, it's over he--" Merry never finsihed his sentance...Pippin couldn't see him anymore.

"Merry? MERRY!" The wind started blowing furiously, sending howls that sounded like wolves echoing through the trees. That did nothing to help the young Hobbit's fear. Pippin darted between the trees frightfully. Where had Merry gone? Were they in...that part of the woods?

o-o-o-o-o

_It felt like I was falling for hours, when it was only a few mere minutes. With a thud I landed on the hard dusty soil bottom of the hole. Why hadn't Pip told me that the woods was now hole infested? Who had put them there in the first place? It was probably the hunters' old traps that they never filled again. Well, perhaps not, they were too deep._

_Ah, my side hurt! It hurt so bad. But I could not call out! I could not find my voice. It seemed to have run away from me...why? _

Merry propped himself up on one elbow. The walls of the hole were old, very old. He must have lead Pippin into the wrong part of the woods.

Pippin!

Where was he? Was he alright? Was he harmed? If he was, his uncle Paladin would most certainly have his hide. And then his own father would...

_Ohh..._Merry moaned once more at the shooting pain in his side. Now, come to think of it, he would have rather stayed in his bed. Taking Pippin out was a foolish idea. The Took in him made Merry want to do something adventurous, something that was not thought out well at all.

"Pip? Are you out there?"

This time, Merry recieved no reply.

o-o-o-o-o

"Oh where has he gone? Where am _I_? Have I wandered too far..."

TBC...

A/N: I know this is extremely short...Sorry...I'm writing while eating dinner, yum. Mushrooms.


	4. Chapter Three: Ghost Stories

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

By Nolitari

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! They make me so happy. Sorry this chapter has taken so long, family has come back in town and then birthdays and then graduations. Excuse me if this too short, 'tis terribly difficult to legthen this particular story. Things will speed up soon, I promise!

**Disclaimer: If I owned these characters, which I don't, I wouldn't be doing this to poor Pip. Or Merry either!**

o-o-o-o-o

Eglantine sleepily walked as quietly as possible down the hall. She had heard some noises from Pippin's room, so she had decided to see if everything was alright. The boy sleepwalked occasionally, usually going to the kitchen for rice cakes. Trying to supress a yawn, she came upon Pippin's room, mildly surprised that the door was wide open.

"Pippin, darling? Is everything alright?" Eglantine said softly as she poked her head inside the bedroom.

He wasn't there.

Nor Merry.

Neither were their clothes.

"Paladin...PALADIN!"

o-o-o-o-o

The young Brandybuck pushed himself into a sitting postion. That wasn't the easiest task, for the floor of the hole was littered with sticks, roots, leaves and other things. Things that faintly looked like animal bones. _Bones! _He shuddered. That was only another frightful addition. Hearing the screaming wind, and the rusling leaves, and now bones freaked him out. _It's reminding me of the ghost stories that Pop would tell on nights like this. I miss Buckland, I wanna go home...to just sit around the crackling fire and sip an ale and crunch into an apple. Just like last week, when Da and I set up the fire pit as always behind the hobbit hole..._

o-o-o-o-o

_Merry pulled the dead grass of last fall out of the ground. Today, as he and his father did every spring, the fire pit was being set up. On the cool, breezy evenings of May, Merry and his father would sit next to the fire and eat apples, drink ale, and talk. You could say it was their own time, since his father was always busy during the daylight. _

_"Da?" Merry asked, taking another large bite out of an apple._

_"Yes, Merry?"_

_"When can I go to Tuckburogh?"_

_"You are leaving next week, son." _

_"That's a long time, ya know." _

_"I know it is. Am I too boring for your taste?" _

_Merry thought that his father was being serious, when actually he was merely jesting. "No, no, no! You're plenty of fun, Da. I'm just...well, eager to go. I've been stuck here all winter." _

_Saradoc chuckled softly. "It's the Took in ye that makes you want to go on adventures all the time." He shook his head, laughing. "Perhaps a ghost story will hold you over."  
_

_"Yes! Please! You hardly tell them anymore!" _

_"Alright. On a night that had strong, howling winds, a creature would walk the woods of the Old Forrest..." _

o-o-o-o-o

Merry faintly smiled at the memory. But something still haunted him, even after that comforting thought. The weather conditions were eerily like the conditions he was under. Was his father's ghost story real...?

o-o-o-o-o

Peregrin was having his own problems. He could not figure out what had happened to his cousin. Oh. Another problem: he forgot to mention to Merry that his mother would check on him every night, since he sleepwalked frequently. Now his ma was probably panicked and worried over her youngest...

"Merry? MERRY!" Pippin shouted out vainly. He had been wandering around the woods for about twenty minutes, in a desperate search for his cousin. Why did they have to go out in the middle of the night? Why couldn't they have waited until morning? Why was is it so important that they go in the pitch black of night?

Pippin may have never found out if he couldn't find his cousin.

o-o-o-o-o

Eglantine's worried shout raced through the halls, immeadiatly bringing Paladin out of his peaceful slumber. Had something terrible happened? Well, he would find out! Worriedly pulling his robe off of its peg, he rushed to where his wife's shout came from.

It was his son's room.

What had gone wrong?

Did it involve Pippin?

"Eglantine! What is the matter?" He asked once he got to the shocked female hobbit's side.

"Oh, Paladin! It's Pippin! And Merry! They're _missing_!"

Paladin took a few steps backward, worry piercing his heart. His son was missing, his worst nightmare unfolding right before his own eyes. "Are...are you sure they didn't just go to one of the pantries for rice cakes?"

"Paladin! If they went to the kitchen, why would their sleeping clothes be thrown on the ground?" She said, disbelieving her husband's nonchalant remark. Rice cakes?

"Eglantine, I was hoping they were still in the hobbit-hole." He sighed. "And they aren't. Where have they gotten to?" He said more to himself.

"I don't know, Paladin. That is why we must go find them."

o-o-o-o-o

Pippin gave up searching after an hour. So instead, he sat against the trunk of a tree, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

NO! He couldn't fall asleep at a time like this! But sleep sounded so comforting...he almost did drift off when a very scratchy and old voice abrubtly asked: "What ye be doing on my property?"


	5. Chapter Five: Darkness is Compelling

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

By Nolitari

A/N: -Ahem- **Bressa, **I can see where you are getting at. I wanted Pippin to be 18 because it just...seemed right. I don't know why, but something seems right. And yes, I am a true Tolkien fan, so you may want to be a little more careful whom you say that to. This story will most likely take place over 10 or so years. I had it planned like this from the beginning, so I know where this is going. But your idea would be great for a sequil, would it not? Thank you for taking time to review my work. Although I admit, I get nervous and kind of upset at first, but when I come to my senses I see what you are saying.

I am terribly sorry for the long delay. I had little to no inspiration for this chapter. I do hope you all enjoy.

This is _very_ short. I apologize.

**Disclaimer: This is all Tolkien's, not mine. Except for the elderly guy...**

**o-o-o-o-o**

Pippin gave up searching after an hour. So instead, he sat against the trunk of a tree, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

He couldn't resist it. Sleep's warm and comforting arms were outstretched to him, beckoning him to come and get some rest, to close his heavy eyes and forget all that happened.

For a few mere hours, at least.

Before they got to the woods, and all this trouble, Pippin and Merry had a few close attempts with the older hobbits who still roamed the roads at this time, obviously drunk. Little did they know they would encounter something worse than drunken hobbits. (Although drunken hobbits can be quite horrible.)

Once again, his eyelids nearly shut.

NO! He couldn't fall asleep at a time like this! But sleep sounded so comforting... He almost did drift off when a very scratchy and old voice abrubtly asked: "What ye be doing on my property?"

Pippin jumped back in fright, and surprise. An average sized hobbit was standing right in front of him, looking down at him with sharp eyes. Ne was not too old, but not quite young. He looked quite scraggly, which made the younger hobbit think he was older than he really was.

Peregrin started to scoot away, from the strange hobbit, obviously frightened.

The strange hobbit said to him again, "I said, 'What ye be doing on my property?'"

The young Took gulped and stared at the hobbit, trembling with fright.

"People who wander on my property without permission get to deal with me."

The hobbit's meanicing tone scared Pippin even more.

What would this hobbit do to him?

_Pop...please..._

o-o-o-o-o

Meanwhile, back in the hobbit hole, Paladin was hurridly changing into his clothes and gathering supplies, as was Eglantine.

What Paladin still couldn't grasp was the fact that his son, his Pippin, had gone out into the dark, voluntarily. And it was probably Merry who bribed him, Paladin thought.

But why did he go along?

Why.

'Why' was the question of the night.

Paladin thought he had told Pippin about the dangers of the woods.

But the two surely hadn't gone there.

...Or had they?

If that was the case, then the two were in for more trouble than bargained. The floors were uneven, with random holes in the ground for no reason. It was also told to believe that the old fugitive was settled in those woods.

He had been known to harm people before.

And usually those people didn't make it back.

And if he got his son, Paladin swore he would personally take that hobbit's last breath.

o-o-o-o-o

_Author's notes (again): We'll see more of Merry in the next chapter._

_I'm not sure how I introduced this mystery hobbit._

_PLEASE tell me if it was terrible or not. Honestly._

_Until next week or so,_

_Nolitari_


	6. Chapter Six: Steamed Mushrooms

**Misadventures of a Teenaged Took**

A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews. I shall start replying again, so be sure too look at the bottom for the responses!

Point out any spelling and/or grammar mistakes. I don't have MSWord. Posessed HP...

**Disclaimer: This is all Tolkien's, not mine. I'm not creative enough to think up Middle-earth, anyway.**

o-o-o

Finally, for the first time of the night, Merry had a plan. Well, it wasn't a plan to save Pippin -- wherever he was -- it was more of a plan to get himself out of that odd hole. His plan was to try and climb up the tree roots that were sticking out of the sides of the hole. Since he was a hobbit, and not one of the Big Folk, this should have been easier for him. Merry probably didn't weigh as much as one, (although he was still a tween, so he had time), and he certainly wasn't as tall. That perhaps was the only hinderance, if he was a foot or more taller, he could get out of that hole with ease. But alas, he was not.

He grabbed one of the roots and started his acent up the crumbly earth.

Well, that wasn't a good idea.

The roots were damp with dew from the nightfall. And they weren't very thick. So when he tried to climb up them, Merry's small hands couldn't grip it tightly. Then gravity decided the rest.

Blinking a few times, trying to clear his vision, Merry stood up once again.

_Well, this is just great. I have no idea where Pippin is, and if I'm right, Uncle Paladin will be tearing up all of Tookburough with a large search party... Then when he finds us, he'll hug us, then probably kill us. Alright, maybe that isn't true. But he'll do something mighty terrible. _

_And if he is seraching right now...he may be able to hear me. Good idea, Merry! _

"Help! Is anyone out there? Please, I need help!" He shouted over and over.

o-o-o-o-o

As Merry had thought, Paladin did have a rather large search party organized. He had spent no time idling on a worried mind, instead he jumped right into action. Wherever Pippin was -- and Merry -- he would find them. In a more than dead stage, Paladin hoped.

The search party had seperated and started to scour all of Tookburough, shouting their names while carrying torches.

Eglantine had insisted on coming, but Paladin had told her someone would need to be at the hobbit-hole just in case one of the two boys decided to show up at home, unscathed. After a bit of pursuading, she finally agreed. (Although it was no easy task to do that. She was a female, after all.)

Paladin was now searching near the edges of the woods. There was a chance they had gone into there, but he didn't want to believe it. Pippin definantly knew not to go in there, and hopefully Merry knew that, also.

After searching for a while, a faint cry reached his ears. Unless his ears were playing tricks on him, then it had to be one of the boys.

"Merry? Pippin? Don't stop! Where are you?" Paladin shouted as he carefully picked his way through the forest, along with a few other hobbits that were searching with him. The futher he went, the louder the voice became. And that voice obviously belonged to Merry.

"Uncle Paladin! I'm down here! I mean, over here!" Merry shouted.

"How the blazes did you get down there, Merry!"

"I slipped..."

"Where is Pippin? Is he with you?"

"No! He is not! I don't know where he is!"

"Oh, stars..."

o-o-o-o-o

_A/N: This probably wasn't my favourite one. Myeh. So I don't know what to think of it. But please, do tell me. I'd like to hear. Just, no flaming. 'Kay? So, if you don't flame, you can have some steamed mushrooms! So good...-drools-_

**PeregrineBlue: Why, thank you very much! I feel very honored. -bows clumsily- And here is more -- I'll try to make future chapters longer.**

**Troggeh: Grounding? Aw, that's too soft. I was thinking more like hard labour in Farmer Maggot's fields. Eh, that's growing vegitables. Not stealing them. xD The ghost? I can't tell you! Later chapters shall explain. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! **

**Snodgrass, Winkle: Mwhahaha! We find out not in this chapter, because Nolitari hasn't made her mind up yet! Bwahahaha. But really, we'll find out soon. And here is the update!**

**Lindele: No, I most certainly will not make him eat Pippin. That is cannibalism and is not favoured in most societies. **


End file.
